Academic Collaboration Network Structures and Knowledge Inequality in Waste Management Research for Sustainable Development: A Scientific Network Analysis from the Scopus Database (2015–2025)

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the structure of academic collaboration networks and the inequality in the distribution of knowledge related to waste management for sustainable development. The study applies bibliometric analysis in combination with scientific network analysis using a collaboration-network dataset derived from publications on sustainable waste management indexed in the Scopus database. The analysis focuses on the roles of countries, institutions, and research groups that function as central actors within the knowledge network, as well as identifying research areas that remain underexplored.
The findings reveal that the knowledge network is highly concentrated among countries with strong scientific and technological capabilities, while developing countries continue to play limited roles as secondary research collaborators. In addition, issues related to community participation, rural waste management, and human behavioral dimensions remain relatively underrepresented compared with studies focusing on technological innovation and the circular economy. The results highlight the necessity of developing more inclusive collaboration networks and reducing inequalities in access to knowledge in order to support policymaking and the development of waste management systems that are more closely aligned with local sustainable development contexts.